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The End of Empire

Driving Question: What were the factors that led to decolonization around the world?

The end of empire was shaped by global forces as much as local resistance. See how Cold War rivalries, economic shifts, and growing unrest challenged imperial power after World War II.

Learning Objectives

  1. Use the historical thinking practices of contextualization and causation to analyze connections between the Cold War and decolonization.
  2. Use evidence to compare the roles women played in anticolonial movements around the world.

Vocab Terms:

  • containment
  • decolonization
  • ideological
  • minority
  • partition
  • protest
  • union
STEP 1

Opener: The End of Empire

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 2 of the Lesson 8.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Prompt parsing helps prepare students to write claims. Read more about our approaches to writing in the OER Project Writing Guide.

STEP 2

Winds of Change

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 3 of the Lesson 8.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Looking to differentiate, modify or adapt this activity? Check out our Differentiation Guide Locked .

Empires began to break apart after World War II. The process of decolonization was shaped by global competition and local resistance as independence movements seized their moments.

STEP 3

Women and Decolonization

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 5 of the Lesson 8.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Looking for a way to shorten this activity? There are some great ideas in the Decolonizing Women External link thread in the Community Forum.

Discover the roles women played in challenging imperialism. These materials highlight how gender shaped both colonial rule and independence movements across the globe.

STEP 4

Closer: The End of Empire

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 7 of the Lesson 8.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

This lesson was all about a wave of anti-colonial movements that managed to achieve independence across the globe after 1945. Time to consider how they managed it and what lessons we can learn.

Extension Materials
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Take a closer look at the impact women had in decolonization movements.
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Women’s Resistance Efforts

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 7 of the Lesson 8.4 Teaching Guide Locked .